cacoethes |PERCY JACKSON| [book 2]

XXVII

LUKE'S BEAR-MAN THUGS APPEARED appeared on either of side of the five. One grabbed Annabeth, Selena, and Grover by their T-shirt collars. The other tried to grab Tyson, but Tyson knocked him into a pile of luggage and roared at Luke.

"Percy," Luke said calmly, "tell your giant to back down or I'll have Oreius bash your friends' heads together."

Oreius grinned and raised Annabeth, Selena, and Grover off the ground, kicking and screaming.

"What do you want, Luke?" Percy growled.

He smiled, the scar rippling on the side of his face. He gestured toward the end of the dock, and there was something that they should've noticed. The biggest boat in port was the Princess Andromeda.

"Why, Percy," Luke said, "I want to extend my hospitality, of course."

The bear twins herded the group aboard the Princess Andromeda. They threw them down on the aft deck in front of a swimming pool with sparkling fountains that sprayed into the air. A dozen of Luke's assorted goons—snake people, Laistrygonians, demigods in battle armor—had gathered to watch them get some 'hospitality.'

"And so, the Fleece," Luke mused. "Where is it?" He looked them over, prodding Percy's shirt with the tip of his sword, poking Grover's jeans.

"Hey!" Grover yelled. "That's real goat fur under there!"

"Sorry, old friend." Luke smiled. "Just give me the Fleece and I'll leave you to return to your, ah, little nature quest."

"Blaa-ha-ha!" Grover protested. "Some old friend!"

"Maybe you didn't hear me." Luke's voice was dangerously calm. "Where—is—the—Fleece?"

"Not here," Percy said and Selena kicked his ankle, "We sent it on ahead of us. You messed up."

"Way to go, Seaweed brain." Selena sighed. If he would've kept quiet, they could've bought Clarisse more time.

Luke's eyes narrowed. "You're lying. You couldn't have ..." His face reddened as a horrible possibility occurred to him. "Clarisse?"

Percy nodded.

"You trusted ... you gave ..."

"Yeah."

"Agrius!"

The bear giant flinched. "Y-yes?"

"Get below and prepare my steed. Bring it to the deck. I need to fly to the Miami Airport, fast.'"

"But, boss—"

"Do it!" Luke screamed. "Or I'll feed you to the drakon!"

The bear-man gulped and lumbered down the stairs. Luke paced in front of the swimming pool, cursing in Ancient Greek, gripping his sword so tight his knuckles turned white.